The

Meppershall

Messenger

Volume 28 OCTOBER 2012 Issue 6

Meppershall Village Website: www.meppershall.org

ARCHIE UNDERWOOD (2004ARCHIE UNDERWOOD (2004ARCHIE UNDERWOOD (2004———2012)2012)2012)

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WHAT’S IN YOUR MESSENGER THIS MONTH?

Page 2 Editorial 3 Readers’ Letters Archie Underwood; Belles of St Mary’s; Minibeasts; Katie

Cat; Colour Supp; Claire’s Wedding; Shefford Events; Yoo-Hoo for Who’s Who!

7 News in Brief Fast Broadband; New Dance Class; Mustangs Reunited; After the Olympics

10 Meppershall Brownies Operation Christmas Child 11 Rogers Bees Preparing for the winter 12 Tribute Archie Underwood 14 Council Report September Meeting 16 Your Shout Peggy Parsons; a Diamond Wedding 18 School Report The new School Year 19 Leisure Group Recent Trips; Forthcoming Events & Shows 22 Financial News Update Pensions (Again!) 24 Polehanger Diaries Hot News; Weather; Rhino; Harvest Thanksgiving. 26 Jeremy Holden The Peacock

28 Calendar of Events October & November 29 The Lucy Page 50 Things to do before you are 11 ¾ 30 Puzzle Pages Hard Sudoku No.5

31 Crossword No.6 32 Champneys News Item/Advert

33 Community Speedwatch 34 Advert St Mary’s Harvest Supper 35 Wanderbus Volunteer Coordinator Wanted 36 Film Review 37 St Francis’ Services + St Mary’s Tea Towels & Mugs 38 Puzzle Solutions Sudoku and Prize Crossword # 5 39 Meppershall Players Aladdin - Pantomime Dates

40 MGC Top Gardening Tasks for October 41 MGC Open Gardens Next Year 42 Advertisement Henlow C of E Academy 43 Meppershall Tots 44 Notice Board Biggleswade & District Art Society; Shefford Events 45 Advertisement Items for Sale 46 Pre-school Ponderings 47 Advertisement She-Fit Personal Training 48 The Bike Shed The Ace Café and meeting Freddie Spencer 50 Covers by Request + Significant Events 51 St Mary’s Church October Services 52 Profile Meet the New Rector 53 Junior Church News 54 Recipe Carrot & Lentil Soup 55 Birthdays In October 56 The Team Collating Dates

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Volume 28 Issue 6 October 2012

EDITORIAL It is tragic that we should have to feature on our cover the death of an 8 year-old , but sadly the end of the summer was marred by the death of little Archie Underwood. I am glad that we can carry so many messages celebrating the life of this brave lad and offer his parents at least that much comfort. As some kind of balance, we can welcome our new Rector, Veronica (Roni) Goodman, who will have been formally installed and moved into the Rectory by the time you are reading this - see page 52. It is also encouraging that we can report the involvement of two Meppershallians (is that an established word?) in the great sporting events of the summer: the Gamesmaker’s tale (page 8) and the further exploits of a torch bearer (page 9) I am very conscious that most of our regular contributors have by now provided us with 30+ and even 40 articles, and there is a real risk that we just assume that the next one will arrive as expected: take them for granted. I took the opportunity of the August break to contact all these very faithful supporters to assure them of how much they are appreciated and to confirm that they are actually willing to keep up the good work: I am very pleased (and relieved!) to be able to report that I received only positive replies. So I will thank them again here – they know who they are!

Dick Bulley

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LETTERS

Re: Archie Underwood

As a normally quiet member of this village I have always dealt with problems

myself, or thought that I could, until recently when my wife Zoe and I tragically

lost our dear son Archie, which nobody could ever be prepared for. It was at

this time that we realized that the love and support of family and friends

around us has helped us so much at this very difficult time.

Words cannot express how grateful we both are for the kindness that people in

the village have and still are showing us. Please accept our heartfelt thanks for

all you have done for us both. David and Zoe Underwood

The Messenger would like to add its deepest sympathy to David & Zoe on their tragic

loss. - Ed

Letter from Elsie Lawrence Sparks – The Belles of St Mary’s The children had a good time again this year, although we missed Sandra &

John (Harper). Dawn (Abbatt) & co did a wonderful job – well organized and

very cheerful. The sun shone on all 4 days and the children enjoyed the

workshops on the theme of David and Goliath. David was a shepherd boy, so

sheep were made and sewn by the children. Later, David became king, so

crowns were made in another most enjoyable workshop. Games and sports

followed, with prize-giving and singing in Church, and a good time was had by

all. The Olympics were also included, with medals received by many.

Brill and fab! Thank you and well done!

Elsie

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Letter from John Chapman Hi Dick I am constantly banging on about the lack of insects in Meppershall but now, having extra time to devote, I made my small garden more Bee friendly this year, planting Lavender and Butterfly Bushes to supplement Soldiers and Sailors and Cotoneaster for the early Bumbles. I have been rewarded with a thriving Bumblebee nest in my roof space. Roger (at the Bakery) tells me that they may well return next year and their nests do not become over-large. A small contribution but a real result from my efforts. John Chapman John asked the question: “where have all the minibeasts gone?” So now he knows where at least some of them are! - Ed Letter from Kirsten Rodia I would like to pass on some sad news about our cat. I know it isn’t normal to write an obituary for a cat but Katie Cat from Taylors Close was very popular with the Close and the school children from the Lower school. She will mostly be remembered for being nosey and sitting in the road resulting in neighbours having to drive around her. Sadly she was poorly and has now gone to cat heaven. I would just like to say thanks to everyone who fussed her and the children that left her treats! RIP Katie the cat xx Letter from Linda Primett I have waited a month to see the photographs of The Great British Meppershall Summer Fair and I have to say that I am so disappointed. I’m sure the actual photographs are superb, but the way they have been reproduced in the magazine is dreadful; they have been reduced and squashed to the size of a postage stamp, some are out of focus and, in my opinion; do not capture the event in any way. And as for the captions – what is that all about?! Considering this is the only major event in the village, an event which takes months of preparation and hard work by not only the organisers but the participants as well, I was hoping for a quality colour pull-out supplement that would have done the Fair justice. Perhaps if space was an issue, then one or two articles regarding financial matters or life experiences could have been dropped until the next edition. I’m probably being terribly unkind and am too passionate about the Fair, having been involved for the last three years and being on the Village Hall Committee for many more, but from the feedback I have been receiving I do

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not appear to be the only one who has been so disappointed with the photographic memories of our stupendous event.

Linda Primett I am very sorry indeed that Linda feels like this. Let me assure her and all those who worked so hard to make the event such a success that our supplement reflected no lack of appreciation of that effort: on the contrary, I intended the supplement to reflect the great fun-day that we all enjoyed, and I am sorry that she feels that we failed to do that. One or two other people have told me that they preferred last year’s picture presentation, so we will learn that lesson for next year. Ed Letter from Stephen Bull Hi, I am a former resident of Meppershall, currently residing in the USA, and I tend to venture back once a year to visit my parents who still reside in the village. This year I am planning a trip back around Guy Fawkes weekend and I would love to see the celebrations (bonfire, fireworks, etc.) that Meppershall puts on. With November 5th falling on a Monday, I am wondering what day the village is planning on celebrating Guy Fawkes so that I may attend. Would you or anyone else happen to know at this point? Thanks, Stephen P.S. I am very glad to have found Meppershall online! Now I can keep up with village news from afar every month! We will let Stephen know as soon as the date is announced. - Ed Letter from Claire Foote Claire and Andrew’s Wedding 23rd June 2012 Although I now live in Lancashire, Meppershall will always hold a special place in my heart as it was where I was raised. Andy and I were very pleased to be able to celebrate our marriage in St Mary’s Church. Only in Meppershall could you have the unusual experience of navigating your way through a Steam and Vintage Tractor Rally in a Rolls Royce. We would like to say a big THANK YOU to everybody in the village for being part of a very special day for us and especially those connected with the church. We appreciate everybody’s contribution to making our wedding day such a memorable occasion. The day could not have been any more perfect and we were even lucky with the weather, which was dry except for a short downpour as we were about to leave the church. However, every cloud has a silver lining as this enabled us to relax and watch the bell ringers. As soon as the rain stopped it was out into the

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grounds of the church, which looked particularly lovely for our wedding photographs. After the photographs we were whisked through the lovely countryside that surrounds the village to our reception at Mount Pleasant Golf Club where everybody enjoyed fine dining and danced late into the night. We hope you all enjoyed the wedding as much as we did! SHEFFORD TOWN MEMORIAL HALL FUND RAISING EVENTS

We are well underway with our fund raising efforts towards building a new sports & social hall the town will be proud of. We have lots of fun events coming up in the next few months and we would appreciate your taking the time to see if any of the events would suit you and your family. Please come along and bring your friends and children and support us in our efforts. We need your support to make Shefford a better place with updated facilities for future generations. All monies raised go towards our new build. We are all volunteers and are always looking for new recruits. Linda Ford (Member of the fund raising Committee)

See Shefford Events on Notice Board on p44

-oOo-

WHO’S WHO (& WHAT’S WHAT)

IN

MEPPERSHALL!

The current version of this essential Guide came out in June,

and the next update is scheduled for December. If you are

aware of any changes that have taken place (e.g. names or

telephone numbers) please notify a member of The

Messenger Team (see p56 for contact details) by 12th

NOVEMBER latest. Thanks to all concerned.

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MEPPERSHALL NEWS IN BRIEF

Fast Broadband comes to Meppershall

Keen observers of street furniture and trenches in the pavement may have noticed that BT has installed a new junction box near the top of Crackle Hill. This marks the arrival of fibre optic cable in Meppershall, which is reputed to offer broadband speeds up to 60Mbts. Contact your broadband service provider to take advantage of this improved facility and expect to pay a special connection charge. You will also need a new router. (The

Messenger is indebted to John Chapman for information.)

New dance Class in Silsoe

Rodney & Sandra Weeks are starting a brand new dance class for beginners at Silsoe Village Hall on Tuesday 9th October from 7pm to 8pm. Dances to be taught will include, Waltz, Cha Cha Cha, Quickstep, Rumba, Tango, Foxtrot, Jive and many more. First week (9th October only) is free of charge. Rodney & Sandra are former British Champions and stars of the original TV Come Dancing. Further details from Rodney or Sandra on 01234 823537 or 07771 570814.

Mustangs Reunited

In this year of anniversaries and jubilees, only a select few knew that it was the 50th anniversary of the formation of the band Mustangs and their female counterparts, Mustang Sally. Yet on 1st September an invited audience was present in the village hall to celebrate the event and to listen to a concert of numbers from the 60s and 70s that had every foot tapping and most of us singing along to tunes that brought back memories of such a different time in our lives. As the evening progressed, the foot tapping also progressed to dancing and many ladies and gentlemen of “a certain age” were happily recapturing their carefree youth. Although the band was formed in Southend, some members were flown in for the anniversary from New York and Australia. So why Meppershall? Because Mike Read lives here, and he was one of those founders in far-off 1962. Mike tells me that nearly all the band had degrees and professional day jobs, yet for 17 years they played 3 and 4 times each week. They were offered the chance of going professional, but being the sensible chaps that they are (underneath!) they recognised that, except for the very few at the top of the musical tree, the long-term prospects of bankers and civil engineers were better than those of pop musicians; and that was despite the fact that, at the time, they were earning far more from their performances than from those day jobs. Even though it is now more than 30 years since the band “retired” and they have only played together a few times in the intervening years, their style on 1st September was as fresh and as professional as ever. I wondered how this could be, after so long, but Mike said “when you have played 3 times a week for 17 years, it is pretty deeply ingrained”. I suppose the same could be said by a certain ex-Beatle, but I am very pleased to confirm that the Mustangs have worn much better than they did! Thank you Mike and the band for a wonderful evening. Dick Bulley

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AFTER THE OLYMPICS: (1) The Gamesmaker’s Tale – by Kerry Rockall

My journey to becoming a Gamesmaker at the London 2012 Olympics started during a rare idle moment at work in the middle of 2010 when I noticed on our company intranet that we were all being offered the opportunity to apply to be a volunteer at The Games. I announced to my colleagues my intention to apply, and their comments ranged from “you must be mad, using up your holiday entitlement to volunteer for that certain disaster” to “I’ll be leaving the country during the Olympics, complete waste of money.” Spurred on by their support, I sent off an e-mail detailing why I would be an excellent Gamesmaker and then thought nothing more of it as I was pretty certain that I wouldn’t be picked. A whole year later, I was given the good news that I had been selected to attend an interview in London – my colleagues laughed at my foolishness in wanting to get involved but wished me luck anyway. I set off for the EXCEL centre in London where I was grilled by a very nice man from Sweden about my customer service and team working skills and given some chocolate. That was that until just before Christmas last year when I received an e-mail telling me that I had been selected to be part of the Event Services Team, based in the Common Domain on the Olympic Park in Stratford (that’s the bit of the park that you could see through the window of the BBC studios). Three training events and one trip to West Ham to pick up my uniform later came the morning of July 28th, my first shift. Well, I say the morning; it was more like the middle of the night really as I my shift started at 6.20 am every day so I had to get up at 3.30 am to travel to Stratford International. It was a surreal experience arriving at St Pancras to catch the Javelin train on the first day to see hundreds of people dressed just like me; it felt like the first day at school. The next two weeks passed by in a whirl of “hello” “do you need any help?” “shall I take your photo?” “The nearest toilets are…..” “goodbye, hope you had a great day” and I have to say that it was the most fantastic experience. All too soon my last shift at the Closing Ceremony arrived and I was lucky to be able to stand with the athletes as they waited to go into the stadium to take their final bow. The Event Services team shed a tear as the flame went out, had a group hug and went our separate ways with wonderful memories of a shared experience that we will never forget. I met fabulous people, both fellow Gamesmakers and spectators and it was wonderful to see the number of young families who came to watch; I truly believe we have inspired a generation and in the process restored a little bit of pride and belief in what we can achieve in this country of ours – let’s hope we can hold on to that spirit for a little while – it feels good.

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(2) The Torchbearer’s Tale - by Ian Cousins

My run with the Olympic Torch on 9th July was at 08.50 but all the runners in MK and Bletchley had to attend a briefing at 06.55 were picked up in a coach at 08.00. As the coach moved from stop to stop, dropping off the runners at each leg, we developed quite a camaraderie. I was to receive the torch from a junior rowing champion and hand it on to a boxing champion who was now working to get kids into the gym from the streets of MK. We received (and paid for!) our torches and were given a demonstration of the torch handover. I also had a chance to talk to one of the runners in the grey tracksuits who acted as escort and security detail to the torch; these men and women were all volunteers from the Metropolitan Police, and although there was a team of them running in turns, they must have covered many miles compared to my 300 metres with the torch. I had run in front of crowds before at London Marathons, but the crowd at Milton Keynes was something else! With the weather fine after the miserable day before, I think we all felt the sun was shining at last in a gloomy summer. When my turn came, the handover went smoothly and the run itself passed in a blur of cheering and shouting; I knew briefly what it must feel like to be a celebrity and I was happy to respond in kind. When I handed over the flame I returned to the supporting coach, to be greeted with applause from the other runners, as every other runner had been. Although I was keeping the torch, the flame mechanism was immediately decommissioned – health & safety! When I got back to my wife Noreen, relatives and friends, I thought that would be it, but the next phase was only just beginning. The very next day I received a request to take my torch to Greenfield Lower School at Pulloxhill to tell the children about the run and how the runners came to be chosen, so I was able to explain about my work for the St Vincent de Paul Society. This was followed by similar visits to Meppershall Lower School, to Sparks in Meppershall and to the Greenside Special Needs School in Stevenage, where the children suffering from various disabilities made me feel very humble. I was even asked to open the Sports Day at Henlow Academy by running the first leg of a relay that was completed by the retiring Deputy Headteacher. All these visits were by request, not at my instigation, but everywhere people were very generous with contributions to my charity. I was even asked to visit Stephen Hing’s in Shefford and an office block in the new business park in Luton, close to the sports centre where my running club, Stopsley Striders, has relocated; later, I took the torch back to the club itself. People were happy to donate in exchange for a photo opportunity with the torch, sometimes including me! Altogether I have been given nearly £400 for my charity so far, and more has been promised. Although I am still receiving requests to take my torch and talk to people, I am temporarily turning my main attention to the Bike ’n’ Hike in aid of the Historic Churches Trust. I have swapped one of my weekly runs for a cycle training ride and I hope to visit at least 20 churches on 8th of September to raise more money by sponsorship. On one of the hottest days of the year, Ian managed to visit 19 churches! Ed

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MEPPERSHALL BROWNIES – OPERATION CHRISTMAS CHILD The Brownies and adults have had a break over the summer so as we haven’t got any news yet, I thought this would be a good opportunity to let you know that we will be once again filling and sending shoe boxes to children around the world as part of the Samaritan’s Operation Christmas Child appeal. Last year we sent fifty boxes and we hope to send at least this amount if not more again. Just a quick reminder of what it is all about: 1. Obtain an empty shoe box 2. Cover it with Christmassy paper 3. Fill it with suitable items for a boy or girl from 2- 4 or 5 – 9 or 10 - 14. 4. Send it to the local organiser (see below) with £2.50 per shoe box to cover the cost of transportation The box then gets sent to a child somewhere in the world who is homeless, lives in an orphanage or is without family support or whose life has been blighted by poverty, ill health, natural disaster, conflict or war. The stories behind the boxes and the children who receive them are harrowing: a boy who can now go to school because he has pen and paper; children who have to be told that sweets are for them to eat as they have never had a sweet in their life. We are therefore looking for donations of shoe boxes, wrapped or unwrapped, items to go in the boxes and any donations to cover the cost of sending the boxes. Some suggestions of items to go in the boxes are: Cuddly toys, toothbrush, toothpaste, notepad, writing pads, picture books, pencils, pens, crayons, felt tips, hat, cap, gloves, scarf, ball, puzzle e.g. small jigsaw, toy car, truck, passenger plane, girl’s jewellery, soap, facecloths, sweets (well within their sell by date) Items that cannot be included are: Liquids; chocolate; clothing if not listed above; sharp objects; books with English words, as the boxes will be sent to many countries; glass containers and other fragile items; war related toys as many of the children have only too much experience of the real thing. Any suitable items will do. We will pack the boxes at Brownies, so don’t feel that you have to fill one yourself. All contributions however large or small are valuable and gratefully received. The Brownies will be filling the shoe boxes on Monday 12th November so that they are ready for collection by the Samaritans at the end of that week to ensure they get to their destination by Christmas Day. Please contact Suzanne on 07817 392325 (before 12th November) if you would like to donate any boxes, items or money to our shoebox appeal, or if you would prefer pop in to the village hall any Monday between 6 pm and 7.30 pm (except 15th October). To help raise money Gemma is organising a table top sale on 20th October in the Village Hall from 2.00 – 5.00 pm; if anyone would like a table at the event please contact Gemma Chapman on 07968 529282. We are also raising money with a Bingo night at Brownies on 22nd October.

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MEPPERSHALL BAKERY BEES BY ROGER Hi. Summer is over and now we look towards winter! Having removed some of the honey from the hives, which was not a good yield mainly due to the weather, I left the main crop to harvest in the first week of September. The bees were all large colonies and could not forage a lot of nectar so they were eating the honey from the top supers and storing some in the brood chambers. Which is fair enough, it was theirs! September can be a very busy time in the apiary as we seek to prepare our bees for the winter. Looking at each colony in turn, we have to ask some of the same questions we have done throughout the season: is the colony queen right? Is the colony free from disease? Has the colony enough food? The essence of preparing the hive for the winter is to have as strong a colony as possible, filled with young healthy bees, headed by a young, good-laying queen and all in a sound hive. This sounds quite easy but given the recent weather conditions, it is more difficult to achieve than normal. By the end of September we would like to make sure the bees are well fed and bedded down. If they are light on food stores we can feed with sugar syrup but the best food for bees is their own natural store and there is no comparison in quality between 15kg of their own honey and the same weight in sugar syrup. Honey has so many beneficial compounds and we regularly take great pride in expounding these to others and their benefits for humanity. If this is true for humans, how much more so for the creatures for which it was designed? It is said that the first super of honey belongs to the bees and the rest is the beekeepers. It is a fact that we may ignore at our peril. Our bees have already taken their share but I will feed them so they can come through the winter in good strength. By October we will put the mouse guards in place. A mouse will look for a nice warm place to hibernate. They can make a right mess of a hive and the smell can disturb the bees all winter causing some deaths. The bee’s life is not a happy one. Meppershall has 9 hives and all looking good for the winter months. We will still be making weekly inspections to check on the health of the bees. Don’t forget to start your hayfever treatment during the winter months: a teaspoon a day could help keep it at bay! Some honey available at Rogers Bakery- see you there.

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ARCHIE UNDERWOOD As many of you will be aware, Archie died on 11th August, at the age of 8. His Granny, Jill Dickson, has provided the following information: “Archie was born with a rare bowel disease called Hirschsprung. He had major

surgery at 8 weeks of age and then again at 6 months. He did have some trouble in his

short life but nothing serious - apart from breaking his arm when he was three!!!! But

his Mum was always there for him and kept a close eye on his condition. On the

Wednesday of the awful week, he went swimming and we ate out afterwards: he was

full of life, a normal child. He was ill on the Wednesday night but we had no idea of

the depth of the situation; by 9 am on the Thursday he was in intensive care. He died

on the Saturday. The only other thing I can say is that he did not suffer.”

Anyone wishing to make a donation towards research into Hirschsprung disease in memory of Archie can go to www.action.org.uk Jill has kindly allowed us to reproduce the following from her tribute at Archie’s funeral: “…The fact that young Archie was only eight might make one think that he hadn't

actually lived all that much, but nothing could be further from the truth. Normally a

very happy young man with those twinkling blue eyes and his fair hair always kept

short and tidy, he normally dressed very smartly! However, a trip to his gran’s

usually took care of that as we would settle into doing some gardening together. He

loved his little patch with all the radiant colours from the various plants. We usually

had a hug before he set off up the road two doors away to see what his Mum was

doing. He had developed some very strong friendships and this year he would

disappear to his friends’ homes: Scott and Byron were two of his good friends.

He would stride off up to school with great passion and loved all the games of football

in the playground. The mathematical side of his brain worked better than the writing

side but he had a wonderful imagination and a powerful love of life. I always

remember his first sports day at school, when he informed me that he kept losing the

races and I asked him if he was 'really' trying. With that he went out and won, and did

so frequently from then onwards. He was always open to listening and learning even if

he did have his own opinions.

Quite recently the monopoly game arrived in his life and there was one rather strict if

not unjust rule that we all had to remember: only Archie was allowed to land on

Mayfair and Park lane, the utilities and the stations - at least until he had bought

them! Money was always important to him and he certainly knew how to save. Just

recently though he had got into Lego in a big way and Archie and his mum were

frequently on e-bay as they searched out the bargains.

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Archie had many exciting holidays and along with his family took off for abroad last

year, where he loved their own swimming pool. He spent most of the day in the pool or

as his Dad said 'Archie liked to pretend to walk off the side of the pool and into the

water as though it was an accident.' He also liked laughing at his Dad's attempts at

back stroke, which Archie was brilliant at. Swimming pools didn't figure in their many

trips to Scotland. His Dad would walk all day and Archie would wander around lochs

and towns locally with his Mum.

Only recently he teased me when he suggested we race cars across the living room

floor! I always found that rather tedious although I complied. He was in fact teasing

me as it was a long time since we had played such games. His treasured racing cars

are on my sideboard.

Archie possessed a true skill where dogs were concerned. In fact when my Chihuahua

bitch had puppies last year he was there from the very beginning. He assisted with

getting the pups attached to the mum and nursing on her milk; he held the pups from

the first day and with such tenderness; he was always reliable. Peekachew was the one

that Archie truly adored, in fact he named him. It was so sad for us all when the little

puppy only lived till he was nine months old. I don't think that anyone truly realized

just how sad Archie was over the loss. At least he is with Peekachew now. XX”

Tributes from his school friends Archie’s classmates have written the following tributes to celebrate his life and cherish their memories of their dear friend:

Archie was really good at football. He was my best friend. - Toby Standbridge Archie was always happy. He used to make me laugh. – Eve Sale

In memory of Archie Frederick Phillip Underwood; Archie was always helpful, fair and cheerful. He always made me laugh; he was funny. – Alison Watson Archie was always smiling wherever he went. – Rebecca Myers

Archie was a great friend to have. – Amy Rose Cooper Memories of Archie Frederick Phillip Underwood; Archie always made me smile when he played football. Archie was very brave, wise, likeable, friendly, loving, trustworthy, kind, jolly, talented, alert and peaceful. I will miss him. – Maisie Slade

Archie was my best friend and a good joker and also very kind. – Byron Vernon Archie was my best friend in the world. He was kind, funny and was really good at football. When Archie got angry and walked off we all went to help him out. - Archie Zimmerman

My best friend and a brilliant footballer. - Sam Germann

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MEPPERSHALL PARISH COUNCIL REPORT

The Parish Council met on Monday 10th September. There were no new planning applications to inspect and on the financial front the Clerk reported that we had passed the internal audit of our 2011 accounts and we are awaiting a review by the external auditor. Under the Highways section we were advised by Central Beds of a Temporary Road Closure Order for Campton Road for 2 days somewhere between 12th and 31st October to carry out repairs and resurfacing. As usual advance notice signs will be posted. At Old Road Meadow our wildflower section had a substantial amount of wild oats in it, but our thanks go to Katie and Graham Scrace who pulled them up to prevent even more problems next year. We also approved the quotation for installing a new picnic table and waste bin in the Meadow and also a new bench and bin in Fosters Field. In the orchard there has been a good crop of fruit. It is there for the people of Meppershall to share and enjoy. Obviously it would not be fair to take enough for jam making or mass baking, but I hope that many of you were able to taste some of the fruit. My wife and I had a couple of plums each and they were delicious. The Council reviewed a document from Councillor David Hopkin of Central Beds about the problem of Parking and Dog Fouling. Dog Fouling continues to be a problem in the village and it is difficult to know what to do about it except once again appeal to dog owners to clear up. One particular problem appears to be on the path past the hall leading to the top of Crackle Hill. The council is going to undertake a survey of existing dog waste bins and signage but if you feel there is an area that needs additional bins or signs, please let me know. Under the new Localism Act it will be possible for the Parish Council (in co-operation with Central Beds Highways) to install yellow lines in problem areas and have them enforced by the new mobile parking cameras. The Highways Working Group will be reviewing this provision in the act. Finally we looked at correspondence from the Village Hall Committee about Bonfire Night 2012. Unfortunately last year they made a small loss on the event. Your Council views this as an important village event and agreed to cover any potential loss this year up to a sum of £500. We also offered to ensure that the bonfire site was safe from metal and sharp objects after it has

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been cleared of ash and unburned material which has been another expense for them. This Council is keen to promote and support any Village event but we need to ensure that we include any financial requests in our annual Precept which we prepare at the end of the year. If you are planning an event in 2013 that will be available for the whole village and would like financial support then please contact me in the first instance and I will explain how to apply.

FUTURE PARISH COUNCIL MEETING DATES Monday 8th October 2012 and Monday 12th November 2012 – 7:45 pm in Meppershall Village Hall. Please remember that you are welcome to attend our meetings to speak about any subject during our open public session. Or you may just wish to come along and see what we do. Maybe you are thinking about becoming a Councillor at the next election. We look forward to seeing you. David Foskett Chairman, Meppershall Parish Council – chairman@meppershall.org

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YOUR SHOUT with Trevor Thorley

PEGGY PARSONS (June 11 1921 to July 9 2012): I had the pleasure to speak with Peggy when she attended her grandson’s wedding on Monday 4th June; little did we know then that she was to pass away five weeks later, to the day. Peggy’s funeral took place in St. Mary’s Church on Thursday, August 9 at 12.30pm, conducted by The Reverend Jane Wheatley. Readings were Psalm 23 read by John Parsons and the Bible Reading read by Tim Parsons. Afterwards family and friends gathered at The Crown in Shillington for refreshments. Below is a brief account of Peggy’s life: Peggy was born Marguerite Olive Taylor. She lived all her life in Shillington and Meppershall and was always interested in local history and ways of life. At the outbreak of World War 2, aged 18, she wanted to join the Wrens, which her father forbade and instead worked as a secretary at Henlow Camp. She married Fred Parsons in 1946 and began a new life in a marketing and gardening business at a time when Meppershall was a sea of glasshouses. It was a busy life, helping with the business and raising three children, but Peggy found the time for the WI and helping out with village events and fetes, with endless rounds of scones and cake baking. As a girl Peggy had been a Girl Guide, but as her girls grew up, there was no Brownie pack. So she started one, continuing a lifelong dedication to the Guiding movement. She became District and then Division. Commissioner, serving for 20 years from 1948 to 1968. When Peggy was Quartermaster at Guide Camps the food was guaranteed to be excellent whatever the weather, despite cooking on open fires. She was passionate about the Guiding movement and took a lively interest in events for the rest of her life. Peggy also served on the Mid-Beds District Council and was a Church Warden at St. Mary’s Church. In later years she helped as a volunteer at Meppershall School, listening to the children read amongst other things.

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Peggy’s children and grandchildren were forever at the centre of her life. She was immensely proud of each one’s achievements and work was always on hold while she made picture scrapbooks, baked cakes with older ones and listened to their news, whether they were five or fifty. She passed on many of her interests to her family so that they all enjoy cooking, race for the dictionary to look up a new word and tend their gardens. She will be missed by the countless people who had the pleasure of knowing her. DIAMOND WEDDING: Congratulations to popular and long-time residents Margaret and Ainsley Evesham, who celebrated 60 Years of marriage on August 9. A family luncheon on the day was followed by a party two days later when family and friends, colleagues from work, and neighbours, were delighted to gather at their home at 107A High Street. Excellent buffet refreshments were enjoyed as was the chat spanning the years. Margaret and Ainsley were delighted and honoured to receive a card from Her Majesty The Queen, who earlier this year, with The Duke of Edinburgh, had celebrated their own Diamond Wedding. Margaret and Ainsley honeymooned in Paris when rationing was still in operation and coupons still required for the purchase of clothes. They spent the early days of their married life in Stevenage where Ainsley took on a teaching job. They have been a busy pair during their happy 37 years in Meppershall and between them they have served in many organisations including the Meppershall Players, Parochial Church Council, Parish Council, School Governors and The Friends of St. Mary’s. They have two children who have given them four grandchildren and two great grandchildren, of whom they are extremely proud. REMEMBER IT IS YOUR SHOUT Call Trevor on 01462 813357 or email:

trevor.thorley1@btinternet.com

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‘Meppershall C of E VA Lower School

‘An outstanding Church of England School’ June 2008 and December 2010

School Report - October 2012

Here we are again at the beginning of another school year after such an exciting summer of sport. The Olympics and Paralympics were fantastic events and I hope that they have ‘inspired a generation’. As a school we already have lots of sporting activities planned for our children, with the help of the Redborne School Sports Partnership; one highlight will be six weeks of training with the Northampton Saints Rugby team for our Cedars class children. At the start of a school year we welcome our new Acorns class who are settling into the school routine with enthusiasm. Currently they are attending for the mornings and having lunch at school but will soon be spending the whole day with us. They looked very happy yesterday having their first school lunch together in their classroom. We still have our wonderful cook Mrs. Fitzpatrick who adds the most important ingredient to any meal - love! Over the holidays you may have seen some changes to our school building. Our heating system now runs on gas instead of oil, so the oil tank was removed and smart new bin stores have been built, soon to be followed by a new kitchen door. We have a new fence at the back of the building and our Site Agent Mr. Garner has been very busy painting all our corridors. Our school logo is changing too, incorporating our school motto and a drawing by Alison Watson of a tree which is part of our PTA logo. The tree symbolizes the names of our classes and the branches represent each class. This year we welcome Mrs. Skerman-Gray who will be teaching in Beeches class with Mrs. Barker, who has now returned from maternity leave. Mrs Martin is settling in as our Office Manager after a baptism of fire joining us at the end of last term. The school – Governors, staff and children - is really looking forward to meeting our new Rector Veronica Goodman when she takes up her ministry at the end of September. The Governing Body will meet at the end of September with a new Clerk – Kerry Rockall who we welcome. However we cannot let Richard Bulley’s retirement pass without a huge ‘thank you’ for all his service to our school. However, one face is very sadly missing from our school community, that of Archie Underwood who passed away in the holidays. Archie is missed but will not be forgotten and the children have written some tributes to him for the Messenger. We are working with Archie’s family to have a tribute to him in our school grounds. We look forward to another successful year at Meppershall CE VA Lower School.

Lyn Fairweather Headteacher

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SHEFFORD LEISURE GROUP By Enid Pamment

As we neared the end of our so-called summer, our visit to Kenwood House (an English Heritage property) was a rain-free day. Although the house is not open to the public until 2013, we were able to walk around the grounds and visit their excellent cafe before our onward journey to Buckingham Palace. The tour commenced with a visit to the State Rooms before visiting the newly opened room of the Queen’s diamonds, which were dazzling. The end of the tour led us to the gardens and garden café, most of us ending the day with a strawberry and cream scone and a cuppa, followed by a stroll through the gardens to visit the souvenir shop, before making our way towards the tradesman’s entrance to find our awaiting coach. Friday August 10th saw many of us on a four day visit to Chatsworth and the Peak District. Chatsworth House, the seat of the Duke and Duchess of Devonshire, was certainly their home judging by the many family pictures displayed. The gardens were exceptionally grand and there was a buggy to take you around the vast area, with a commentary. A full day of travelling through the Peak District led us to the spa town of Buxton for morning coffee, then on to Castleton for a lunch stop and a chance to walk through their gardens. Unfortunately the heavens opened but the weather cleared up by the time we reached Bakewell, where most of us purchased either a Bakewell tart or pudding before returning to spend our last evening at the Novotel Hotel, making our way home the following morning. Towards the end of August our next trip was to Runnymede to meet the French Bros. Boat for a two and a half hour journey, passing some of the most beautiful houses along the river. We were lucky enough to enjoy the view from the top of the boat because - guess what - the weather was beautiful! As we turned around for our journey back we were served with a ploughman’s lunch, a slice of cake and a cup of tea or coffee. Back at Runnymede we boarded our coach for the onward journey via Savill Gardens, near Windsor where we were free to roam where we pleased amongst the beautiful flower beds, before making our way to the restaurant for a pre-booked cream tea.

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Forthcoming Events 2012 (Kindly telephone for details)

Full English Olympic Shopper Thursday 18th October

Jeyes of Earls Barton Thursday 1st November

The Lord Mayor’s Show Saturday 10th November

A Day in St Albans (Market Day) Wednesday 14th November

Thursford Christmas Spectacular Friday 30th November

John Rutter Royal Philharmonic Orchestra Christmas Celebration Concert @ RAH

Monday 3rd December

Xmas Carols with the Stars RAH (for Leukaemia) Tuesday 11th December

London Cable Car & Christmas Lights Visiting Westfield Stratford Shopping Centre

Sunday 16th December

Forthcoming Events 2013 (Kindly telephone for details)

Cinderella(Panto)-Matinee-Milton Keynes Theatre Thursday 3rd January

9 -5 - Music & lyrics by Dolly Parton Milton Keynes Theatre – Evening Performance

Tuesday 5th March

Annual ‘Get Together’ Memorial Hall, Shefford Saturday 23rd March

(Kindly note: RAH is Royal Albert Hall) Holidays: 2012

Warners – Hayling Island

(Hotel Accommodation - places still available)

1st – 5th October

Holidays - 2013

Lake Garda (flying from Luton) 14th – 17th March

Lochs & Glens, staying in Dunoon, overlooking the Firth of Clyde

7th – 13th July

London Shows currently available (Arranged by Stevenage Group Travel) are: Matinees - Leaving Shefford at 11am - price includes coach:

Disney on Ice (Wembley Arena) Sunday 30th December

Evening Shows - Leaving Shefford at 4.15pm - price includes coach:

Let it Be-Celebrating 50thAnniversary of the Beatles

Wednesday 3rd October

Singing in the Rain - Stall Seats - Palace Theatre Wednesday24thOctober The Bodyguard (Based on film starring Heather Headley & Lloyd Owen)

Wednesday 14th November

Scrooge – London Palladium Tuesday 20th November

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For all holidays, which include hotel accommodation, Shefford Leisure Group acts as an agent for the Tour Operator, their terms and conditions apply. Shefford Leisure Group is open to everyone in the local community, who feel they would like to join us on our ventures and see places they would not see under their own steam. We are always happy to meet new friends. Raffles are held and all the proceeds are for Keech Hospice Care for Children. For further information regarding dates, prices and availability or to receive our monthly newsletter, please contact Enid on 01462 851397 or e-mail Enidpamment@aol.com. Enid Pamment – Shefford Leisure Group

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FINANCIAL NEWS UPDATE with Jon Ingarfill

Pension Time is here (again) Well here we are in the Autumn already. Summer put in a brief (late) appearance at the beginning of September but that was about it! In the world of finance, nothing much has happened either – the Greeks are still broke, the EU leaders are still dithering, we’re still in recession etc., etc. However one thing that is happening (as I have written on several occasions previously) is that compulsory pension provision starts being rolled out on 1st October. When I first wrote about it, 1st October 2012 seemed a very long way off, but here we are on the cusp. Letters have been going out to employers for a year now, informing them of their ‘Staging Date’ (i.e. when they must comply), and TV advertising is about to start. Okay, so only the largest employers are affected in the first phase, but look how quickly this has come round? All too soon, the smaller businesses will be getting their letters too. Make no mistake, this is a really big deal; there’s a lot of things an employer is going to have to decide upon, take action on, put in place etc., and a lot of things that they can easily get wrong. It’s no use waiting until the ‘Staging Date’ arrives – that is the point at which the fines start being levied, NOT the date an employer has to start getting things sorted out. It can easily take up to 18 months from start to finish…. If you are an employer you will need to make decisions (with your fellow directors/partners) about what you are going to do. For example are you going to set up your own scheme, or use the default NEST option, or indeed both? When are you going to start informing staff (and possibly unions)? When are you going to draft the new contracts of employment? Who’s going to do it? Who’s in charge of the compliance/record keeping? Do you have an existing scheme, and will it meet the new criteria? If not, what changes do you need to make? Where is the money coming from? If you are an employee you might want to know when you will be required to start contributing and how much? If you don’t want to join, what to you do?

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What about existing pensions (if any)? There are lots of things to consider, discuss, decide upon, agree, get sorted and so on. If you have in-house HR people you stand a chance of getting it right, if not, the quicker the business seeks advice the better: the chances of getting it wrong (and potentially being fined) are high! There still seems to be an air of “It’s ages away”, or “It’ll never happen” – believe you me, it is happening; it’s not going to be scrapped, so the quicker employers and employees embrace the fact that they are both going to be paying money into a pension scheme soon, the better it will be. The major providers are actively writing compliant schemes for those businesses who want to be pro-active and get something sorted now. Those who choose to leave it until the last moment are likely to find their only choice being the default NEST scheme, which is online only, no help, no advice, little flexibility, because the providers will ’Cherry pick’ the business they want; once they’ve hit their targets, those who wait until the final date will be turned away.

Tel: 07870 564115 or email: jon.ingarfill@pocockrutherford.com

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POLEHANGER: A FARMING DIARY Episode 36

Hot News

“Hold the front page” was the old cry from the editor in the newspaper print rooms as a major late story came in demanding a reshuffle of the headlines. I have ‘had to do’ the same having started this last week! Yesterday we were blessed with the birth of our second grandchild: he’s beautiful (but I would say that wouldn’t I?) and a miracle. I had forgotten how long you can just stare at a baby with full concentration and a sense of wonder. It was a powerful spiritual moment as well as an emotional one. The cycle and circle of life in birth and death is part of the bigger created world and creative process that we live in; and it’s humbling. Whether you believe in (a) God, as I do, who is involved in our lives as Creator and Father, or not, I am so awed to be part of something much bigger and holier than we humans can manufacture, however sophisticated and ‘all conquering’ we think we are . . . . and so, after all that, I return to the previous, mundane headline; another harvest is over and a new cropping year is beginning. Weather. . beaten. Another headline, this time a national one. ‘Summer 2012 was the wettest for 100 years’ according to Met. Office data. Figures show that an average of 366.8mm (c. 15 in.) of rain fell across the UK over the three months - June, July and August. The normal average UK rainfall is 241mm. The worst hit regions have been the north west of England and north Wales. The West Country has also suffered badly. In percentage terms the south east did not fare much better with 180% of the long-term average, but its overall figure of 290mm, reflects the relative dryness of our region. As I have mentioned before, I am on the side of those who believe that climate change / global warming is being exacerbated by human activity and we, as a global community, have very little time to do something significant that will moderate the speed of that change. Whatever the cause, scientists monitoring the Arctic Polar ice cap are expressing alarm at the unexpectedly quick rate of summer melt this year. Their projected effect of this on the UK weather is to bring more frequent extreme weather patterns (as I understand it in my limited un -scientific way!).

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In a business like ours we now need to do a risk assessment on rainfall water, just as we might with safety, in order to be prepared for times of heavy and continuous rain such as experienced this summer; or prolonged drought as in the 18 months preceding (itself a record). Rhino; end of term report! Predicted B: Exam Result A*! Credit where credit is due: well done to Mark for his skilful management of soil and crop. Thanks to God for the main ingredients of light and water even if they were not exactly distributed as we would like. The Rape harvest was later than usual but Rhino and its 2 sister varieties grown here, yielded remarkably well even though the seed was small. High oil content, on which bonuses are paid if above a certain threshold, meant that a useful supplementary payment was achieved. Not every Rape grower in the UK fared as well. World prices continue to be at uncharted highs for oilseeds and grain, as concerns about the severe drought in the US and a relatively poor harvest in the Ukraine and Russia are slowly being confirmed. Whilst being a ‘good thing’ for us in terms of short term financial margins, in global terms it is likely to precipitate crises, particularly in poorer communities where the daily food proportion of the budget is much higher than it is here. By contrast wheat yields and grain samples across the UK are generally disappointing. The wet summer gave rise to a high and continuous fungal assault on the crop and particularly the ear which also received little sunshine. Both factors gave rise to shrivelled grain and low ‘bushel weights’ a key element in the pricing of a sample. Harvest Thanksgiving . . . so, we are truly thankful and blessed that the promise of seed time and harvest that is built (created) into the natural world has not failed once again. “We plough the fields and scatter . . “ goes the old Harvest hymn. The traditional opportunities to have Harvest Thanksgiving in our UK context are fewer than there used to be, but it’s good to stand back and consider how much we are blessed and how we can bless others from that blessing. Michael Foster’s Diary October 1962 Sunday 7th: Read second lesson at St. Mary’s Harvest Thanksgiving Service. w/c Oct 14. Fine, foggy and sunny all week (classic autumn weather)

Chris Foster 13th September 2012 Congratulations to Tim & Sarah, and to Granddad, of course. Ed

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LIFE ON THE WILD SIDE By JEREMY HOLDEN

The Peacock

The call of the peacock is a sound that travels; a mournful cry that seems as if it might originate from some large-eyed, dusky night creature, or a fairy tale Prince, transformed by witchcraft into a bird, forever bemoaning his fate. Once upon a time, on long summer evenings, the sound could be heard from Crackle Hill. The amphitheatre of the fields caught the cries from the peacocks kept in the large house in Campton and delivered it to the listener. It is the perfect sound for such a regal and fantastical bird. No comical cockcrow from this lord of the pheasants, but an evocation of the East and all things mythical and exotic. My childhood was full of peacocks, in bird gardens I visited, and with those familiar Campton pets. I got to know their jewelled plumage intimately. Jewels have always brought out the thief in people and inspired the avarice to own. Over the long summer holidays my friends and I would walk down to the large house and slip through the hedge to dart secretly around the grounds and steal the discarded feathers. The array of different feathers in a male peacock is astonishing: from the delicate spray of the crest, through to the gilded lunettes of the neck that presaged that eye-covered tail. Only the milky brown primaries were dull; everything else was marvellous. Over the years I collected every type of feather. But an intimate familiarity bred a kind of complacency, and I overlooked the sum total of the bird. A couple of scientific facts to temper the poetry: peacocks are actually known as ‘peafowl’ – the cock suffix refers only to male birds; and there are actually two species of peafowl. The Blue Peafowl from the Indian subcontinent is the most familiar; while the Green Peafowl of Eastern Asia is scarcer and more threatened. Something else to remember about peafowl is that they are not the outcome of human interference. Rather than the end product of selective breeding, they are the result of what is known as runaway sexual selection, when a particular feature used for attracting a mate becomes magnified beyond any practical use other than display, and sometimes even endangers the creature itself. The absurdly branched antlers of an old stag are another example. Peafowl identical to those seen in the parks and gardens of England also exist in the wild. I first saw free-flying peafowl at the Taj Mahal in India, laboriously flapping into the trees at dusk to roost. I saw my first truly wild peacock in India, too, as it crept out of the forest to drink at a water hole. In Sri Lanka I watched them strutting unmolested through rice paddies, and in Cambodia I glimpsed a Green Peafowl scurrying away at my approach.

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My great peacock revelation came one day in Vietnam with a Green Peafowl in Ho Chi Minh’s garden in Hanoi. They keep a single male bird there that displayed for me one morning. Looking at it I was suddenly overcome with amazement. I knew these birds so well that I had forgotten just how incredible they actually are. Has a more wondrous bird ever existed? Imagine if peafowl had disappeared a million years ago – a victim of their own cumbersome plumage - and the only evidence we had for them was a pile of petrified bones. Archaeologists would piece them together and declare the bird was a large extinct pheasant. But who could begin to conceive of how that bird looked? Who would have the imagination to conjure up that fan of shimmering eyes? And who could imagine what they would come to mean to us? Familiarity, if not always breeding contempt, can dull us to the wonders of the world. Take a moment to think about the display of the peacock, or the slashed forest-shadow stripes of the tiger. They are a wild counterpoint to the uniformity that confronts most of us throughout our workaday lives, an aesthetic rush that both calms and inspires us. There is much talk in conservation circles about what it would mean to lose the tiger. What would it say about us as a species? The aesthetic argument always seems the weakest, the least practical, and the one that many conservationists avoid through a sense of guilt, perhaps. Talking about a creature’s important place in an ecosystem makes more conservation sense. But conservation is not only about protecting wildlife and landscapes; it is also about preserving our own place in the scheme of things. An aesthetic appreciation of the wild form of animals is as central to us as modern humans as is the food we eat. The cave of Chauvet proves this to us: on those dark walls deep in the earth our ancestors made the most accurate and inspired drawings of cave lions. What relationship they had with these lions is lost to us, but the admiration in those simple charcoal lines show us that the aesthetic power of wild creatures was not lost on them. The temple complex at Göbekli Tepe in Turkey (discovered in the same year as the Chauvet cave) is the oldest known religious site. It was constructed almost 12,000 years ago, and predates any city, but it shows the same thing. Before they even had metal, these early architects carved an ark of animal species on huge stone stelae. Whatever this bestiary meant for those people at the dawn of human civilization, it was important enough for them to go to extreme efforts to represent it. Conservation is a complicated thing, and often a balancing act. But we should always remember our own deep history and relationship to animals. Whatever the politics or conservation fashions, there is a profound part of us that needs the aesthetic inspiration of animals. It took the whispered hiss of feathers in Ho Chi Minh’s peacock to remind me, as if he was displaying only to tell me this. I got the message, and I have never forgotten it.

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CALENDAR OF MEPPERSHALL EVENTS October 2012

Thursday 4th

Evergreens Tea Club 2.15 pm Sugar Loaf

Monday 8th

Parish Council Meeting 7.45 pm Village hall

Saturday 13th

Indoor Boot Sale 9.00 – 1.00 pm Shefford Memorial Hall

Sunday 14th

Harvest Evensong 6.00 pm St Mary’s Church

Monday 15th

Harvest Supper 6.30 for 7.00 pm Village Hall Thursday 18th

Evergreens Tea Club 2.15 pm Sugar Loaf

Saturday 20th

Brownies Table-top Sale 2.00 – 5.00 pm Village Hall

Curry Night 7.00 for 7.30 pm Shefford Memorial Hall

November 2012

Monday 12th

Parish Council Meeting 7.45 pm Village hall

Thursday 15th

Evergreens Tea Club 2.15 pm Sugar Loaf

Sunday 25th

Shefford Christmas Craft Fair 12 Noon – 4.00 pm Shefford Memorial Hall

Thursday 29th

Evergreens Tea Club 2.15 pm Sugar Loaf

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THE LUCY PAGE By Lucy Standbridge

Aged 11 (Congratulations, Lucy! Ed.)

For this issue, I have based my article about trying something new.

My great uncle found out about the 50 things to do before you are

11¾. He then thought that I might be interested in it, so, he sent me

a link to the National Trust website with their idea of the 50 things.

Those 50 things to do led me to try other new things, which I

thought some of the children reading my page might like to have a go

at.

The link to the website is:

www.50things.org.uk

I have completed 29 things so far, which include burying someone in

sand, lighting a fire without matches and geocache searching.

The 50 things to do inspired me to try to overcome my fear of going

in a rowing boat which we did on my family reunion holiday earlier

this year. I was really scared when I went in it. I then had the idea

that I should try to overcome my fear by hiring a kayak at Willen

Lake, Milton Keynes. I found out that, once I got going, I actually

really enjoyed it and didn’t want to come out!

So, I discovered that you don’t know what things are like until you

try them and that you should just give it a go!

The Lady on the Lake!

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PUZZLE PAGES

SUDOKU PUZZLE – Hard No. 5

The objective is to fill a 9×9 grid with digits so that each column, each row, and each of the nine 3×3 sub-grids that compose the grid contains all of the digits from 1 to 9 Paul Smith 07715-572362 The Crossword opposite is a PRIZE CROSSWORD! Cut out that page, add your name and phone number and take your completed crossword to the PO/Stores. Closing date Friday 5th October; Paul himself will collect them and choose the winning entry from a hat! See Page 38 for the winner of last month’s prize. Solution to the Sudoku on page 38. Crossword solution next month.

9 3

3 1 6 4

7 9 6 1 5

4 2

6

7 8 6

5 2

8 3

2 8 3 1

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PRIZE CROSSWORD No. 6 Answers to this puzzle are not just in Meppershall but towns, villages and hamlets in Bedfordshire

1 2 3 4 5

6

7

8 9

10 11

12 13 14 15 16

17

18 19

20

21

22 23

24

25

26 27 28 29 30 31

32

33 34 35

36

37

38

Across 1 applaud a boiled or roast pig joint (7) 3 hamlet located next to Houghton Regis that should bring success in an auction (7) 7 description of a beach on the A1 (5) 8 has a loop road and a Frosty garden centre (10) 11 The bear state hamlet near Kensworth (10) 12 Another hamlet near Kensworth, maybe after the mob that did the hanging (9,5) 15 very long with a station, a vicar's inn and a town FC (7) 18 not Upper Gravenhurst (5,11) 21 Hamlet near Northill doing what chicks do (5) 22 this village has five ends, Church, Cross, Scald, Backnoe and Park (9) 24 Nearly in Milton Keynes but its better known namesake is near Manchester (7) 26 The hamlet that could be in the park near Speakers Corner, not on the west side (4,4) 29 beach for baby birds (10) 32 the home of Bedford Athletic Rugby Union Club (6) 33 where this messenger comes from (11) 35 I don't think this village's football team would play at Goodison Park but should do (7) 36 Village in the north that shares its name with a Biggleswade metal recycler, without the apostrophe (5) 37 French(ish) sounding home of the Boness Veterinary Hospital (6-2-4) 38 a former hamlet that is now the eastern part of Leighton Buzzard town, 2 "e"s replacing "on" in our capital city (6)

Down

1 electoral ward and area within the town of Bedford (9) 2 in between Luton and Dunstable, replace the norman one with a footballer Cyrille's surname in 14 down (8,5) 3 hamlet north of Northill, initially built under dark night air (5) 4 singer Mr Martin's christian name down on his uppers; on the northern edge of the county (5,4) 5 small hamlet located in the Wyboston, Chawston and Colesden parish that contains a marsh of the River Great Ouse, managed as a nature reserve by the Wildlife Trust. (7) 6 hamlet near Gravenhurst that is an atom with an electrical charge (3) 9 new town which has been under construction since early 2007, on the A6 (6) 10 do you remember this one?, where car manuals should be written (6) 13 hamlet with the same surname as Brian, the art critic (6) 14 the Knife and Cleaver is here (8,8) 16 its Moot Hall stands in isolation on the village green here (6) 17 Icknield Way and Watling Street cross here west of Luton (9) 19 village on the river Ouse consisting of several Ends Salph, Church, Lane, Top, Green, and Water (7) 20 the Royal Zoological Society have an animal collection here (9) 23 above 4 down (5,4) 25 one mile from Totternhoe, it is the sound of a misspelt posh school donkey making a noise (5,4) 27 one of the hamlets in 19 down, one letter on from Ralph (5,3) 28 put an extra "R" in the eye victim of 1066 (7) 29 a few miles east of Bedford on the Ouse (5) 30 Potsgrove hamlet where woolly animals take to the road (5,4) 31 the very small mountain opposite the North one. (8) 34 hamlet near Stewartby based on a question, in what manner (3,3)

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IYENGAR YOGA WITH THELMA McNAIRN (M.A. Hons. Dip ED. IYTA) NEW: YOGA + RELAX CLASS TUESDAYS 7.30-9 p.m. at CHAMPNEYS, HENLOW GRANGE. OPEN TO ALL* (BEGINNERS + IMPROVERS) Thelma McNairn has been teaching Yoga and Relaxation classes at Henlow Grange since she qualified as an Iyengar Yoga teacher in 1995. She teaches regular classes in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and is very pleased to be able to offer this new class in the peaceful location of the Mind and Body Studio at Champneys.

“Yoga has been my constant companion in life since I started going to Iyengar Yoga

classes while at Edinburgh University. As a student in my final year, Yoga helped to

calm my “exam nerves”. It also helped a back injury I’d had from a horse-riding

accident in my teens. By the end of my first year of doing Yoga, I realised I didn’t get

so many coughs and colds, which had been a problem since childhood. Yoga really

improved my health and during full-time work as an English teacher both here and

abroad, whilst I was a full time Mum (2 trouble free pregnancies and births) and now

as I continue to study and practice Iyengar Yoga, it supports my well-being on all

levels.”

Come and experience why Iyengar Yoga is the most practiced form of Yoga. Learn how to practice safely, be aware of alignment and give yourself time to release stress and relax! Each class is carefully taught according to B.K.S. Iyengar’s Beginners Syllabus and each student will be given individual attention. Here are some comments from Thelma’s present students: “The best Yoga classes I’ve been to - and I have been to quite a few other types of

Yoga.”

“I like the fact that Thelma takes each posture gradually and takes the time to help you

adjust in order to reach positions in a way that works for you. In doing so she finds

equipment and props to support each pose without any discomfort allowing us to

extend each pose fully.”

“I enjoy the precise instructions and use of props to eliminate strain. Over the years I

have become more flexible and relish the calm mental state after the relaxation at the

end of each class.”

“I feel much more flexible. I feel fitter. The teaching is very good and there is so much

to learn. So many different Yoga moves!”

Yoga equipment is available in the studio, but do bring your own if you prefer. The regular classes will be taught from Tues. Sept 11th.7:30-9p.m.in 5 week sessions. The cost for 5 weeks is £35 (Visitors); £30 Champneys Club Members; £25 Champneys Staff. Please pay Thelma (Cash or cheque). Tel.01462 851243 or email; thelmayoga@aol.com (* nb. Visitors must sign in at Spa Reception Desk.)

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COMMUNITY SPEED WATCH Bedfordshire Police is committed to the reduction of casualties on our roads. Speed is a contributory factor in some road traffic collisions resulting in fatal, serious and slight injuries. Experience from other police areas shows that Community Speed Watch (CSW) activity can reduce traffic speed. It is one in a package of measures intended to improve road safety by encouraging speed compliance. It is complimentary to, and not a replacement for, conventional police speed enforcement that will continue to take place. Meppershall now has a team of 4 volunteers who monitor the speed of traffic on varying days at specific locations and at different times of the day. The information gathered is then processed. Standard procedure is to identify the registered keeper of an offending vehicle and cross reference it against previous offence records. For a first offence, a warning letter is sent; for a second offence, a final warning letter will be sent. Persistent offenders will be considered for targeted police enforcement and prosecution. If you would like to join the CSW team, please contact PCSO Gillian Richardson on 01234 842515.

SPEEDWATCH RESULTS FOR MEPPERSHALL

July & August

04/07/12 Shefford Road 0800 – 0900 1 vehicle recorded written to

10/07/12 Shefford Road 0920 – 0950 1 vehicle recorded written to

18/07/12 High Street 0800 – 0830 0 vehicles

06/08/12 Shefford Road 0855 – 0945 3 vehicles recorded contacted

13/08/12 Shefford Road 1530 – 1645 1 vehicle recorded contacted

34

ST MARY’S CHURCH HARVEST SUPPER

THERE WILL BE A HARVEST EVENSONG ON SUNDAY OCTOBER 14th AT 6 PM.

HARVEST SUPPER WILL BE ON OCTOBER 15th IN THE VILLAGE HALL AT 6.30 FOR 7 PM

FOLLOWED BY A RAFFLE AND AN AUCTION OF

PRODUCE

Tickets are £7 for adults, £3.50 for children

Tickets are on sale at the Bakery and the village shop

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The

WANDERBUS

IS SEEKING A NEW VOLUNTEER*

CO-ORDINATOR to:

Liaise with passengers for bookings and enquiries

Maintain drivers’ schedules and rotas

Book servicing and safety checks with our garage

Carry out administrative tasks

Must have e-mail and use of Word and Excel

Dedicated phone/answerphone will be provided

*A small honorarium is available

Please contact Duncan Thomas via: duncan.thomas@tesco.net

36

FILM REVIEW Carlie Newman

Coming in September is an unusual film: while its title HYSTERIA (cert. tbc 1hr. 35mins.) does not reveal the unexpected subject matter - the fictionalised history of the vibrator - the story unfolds amusingly, leaving the viewer happy to laugh but also to ponder on the different lives of Victorian women. We snatch an insight into women with money enough to seek medical help for their bodily and mental 'ailments' and those who are so poor that they are at the mercy solely of charitable acts from the medical profession to cure them. The recognised complaint of female hysteria and the revolutionary way of dealing with it is examined humorously! The film opens with the young handsome Dr Granville Mortimer (Hugh Dancy) being challenged by his employer as to why he is changing the bandages on the wounds of poor patients. Maintaining the good medical reasoning for doing so, Dr Mortimer loses his employment and is expected to follow a meaningful and brilliant career. However, he is employed by Dr Robert Dalrymple (Jonathan Pryce) in his very profitable and successful practice treating ladies suffering from hysteria. There is amusement to be got from the expressions of the women seeking help as it is obvious the doctors' expertise is being executed with artful manipulation. We, and the patient, cannot see the form of manipulation used so successfully by the young doctor that he is such great demand that his wrists and hands are badly strained! Young doctor Granville has a romantic liaison with Dr Dalrymple's daughter, Emily (Felicity Jones) while her older sister, Charlotte (Maggie Gyllenhaal) helps in a poor settlement and involves Granville in her work. His injury leads him to develop a more effective vibrator…and the rest is history (well, sort of!) Acted tongue in cheek, especially by Granville's friend Rupert Everett, this is a light romantic comedy rather than an erotic film! Hugh Dancy and Maggie Gyllenhaal in Hysteria

We are very grateful to Carlie for allowing us to extract from her regular web-based series of film and theatre reviews. - Ed

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ST. FRANCIS OF ASSISI

CATHOLIC CHURCH HIGH STREET SHEFFORD

SATURDAY MASS 6pm RAF HENLOW SUNDAY MASSES 9am & 5.15pm AT SHEFFORD For weekday services and confessions please see notices in the church or telephone: Parish Priest Canon Noonan on 813436 or Parish Secretary Rose Boulton on 811547 or email rosedene@talktalk.net

St Mary's Church Meppershall tea towels and mugs for sale!

Did you know that the Village Stores sells mugs and tea towels commemorating our beautiful church of St Mary's? Please have a look! The quality Linen Union tea towels also show other important village institutions (village hall and the school, to name a couple) drawn by a local artist. Both mugs and tea towels have the attractive traditional blue colour of St Mary. Prices are as follows: Linen Union St Mary’s Tea Towels: 1 for £4.50, 2 for £8.00, 3 for £12.00, 4 for £15.00. St Mary's mugs: £3.50 each or 3 for £10. Rest assured that all proceeds from the sale of these items go towards church funds. With thanks for your valued support.

Contact: Brenda Wright on 816446.

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SOLUTIONS TO PUZZLE FROM PAGE 30

SUDOKU

CROSSWORD Solution to last month’s Prize Crossword No 5

9 7 5 4 6 2 8 3 1

1 6 4 8 3 7 9 2 5

2 3 8 9 5 1 6 7 4

7 5 6 1 8 3 2 4 9

8 4 9 7 2 5 1 6 3

3 2 1 6 4 9 5 8 7

4 9 2 3 1 6 7 5 8

5 8 7 2 9 4 3 1 6

6 1 3 5 7 8 4 9 2

B T W I S T A N D C H E E S E

R T I A

I H O N G K O N G H O U S E W

D O E T I T M

G L O V E S F T O I

E H D O C R L

I H L A K H A N I L

U N L E A D E D I C S

P L M M U N T J A C

T M E B

O A N S E L L R I

N Z B R O O K E R S

E E I P D

N K R E D P O L L L I

D E A L A N

R B L A C K S W A N H E

R B H E A S

W A Y S I D E A L L S A I N T S

S T W D O

The £10 prize this month goes to Joan Wood. The Editor was delighted to present Joan with her prize, especially as he only had to go next door!

39

Rehearsals are now well on the way for this year’s Pantomime “Aladdin”. Tickets should be on sale at Roger’s Bakery from Monday 1st October. The performance dates are: Fri 30th Nov, 7.45pm Sat 1st Dec, 3pm & 7.45pm Fri 7th Dec, 7.45pm Sat 8th Dec, 3pm & 7.45pm Although the Players’ overheads have gone up, we have decided not to increase the price of our tickets and they remain the same as the past few years: Fri Evenings £6, Sat Matinees £5, Sat Evenings £6, Last Sat night performance £8 (no Concessions on any performance). Colette House has kindly volunteered to draw up a rota for the front of house at our shows, so if you are interested in making teas, selling raffle tickets/programmes etc, please contact Colette on 01462 815585. The Players are still looking for a pianist. We can always put on a pantomime without one, but we would love to do a wartime variety show soon, and that is something we definitely need a pianist for (lots of music to play). If you are interested please contact the Players. The players meet every Wednesday evening at 7.30pm at the Village Hall. Membership is free and we welcome anyone from the age of 9 years to 90+ to indulge in acting, singing, directing, choreographing, sound, lighting, set building, scenery painting, front of house, backstage, stage managing, make up, costumes, etc. If you are interested in any of the above we look forward to meeting you.

Karen Mitchell (Players Chairman) 01462 816336

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TOP 10 GARDENING TASKS FOR OCTOBER 1. Cut down herbaceous perennials - those with attractive seed heads can be left for

birds and ‘frosted sculptures’ 2. Some perennials can be divided now, especially those that flower earlier in spring 3. Remove annuals and bedding plants, and fork in well-rotted compost into the

beds 4. Continue to plant spring bulbs, leaving tulips until very late in the month 5. Collect fallen leaves from lawns, paths and patios. Store in a black bin liner with a

few holes, until they turn into wonderfully useful leaf mould 6. Bring in tender plants such as pelargoniums and coleus, to a bright frost-free

place, and reduce watering over winter 7. Plant spring bedding, e.g. wallflowers, in the gaps left by tender plants. For colour

before spring, try winter-flowering pansies and violets 8. Dahlia tubers, chrysanthemums and gladioli corms can be lifted and stored in a

frost-free greenhouse or shed. Some gardeners take a chance by leaving them, well-mulched with compost or bark, in the ground

9. Lift the last of the root vegetables, and harvest apples, pears and autumn raspberries

10. Plant a large (frost proof) container to brighten up the darker days. Choose a compact evergreen shrub as a centre piece - sweet box (Sarcococca) and Skimmia ‘Kew Green’ are both scented. Small bulbs e.g. snowdrops and crocus can fill in gaps, and trailing small-leaved variegated ivy will soften edges. Always use ‘pot-feet’ in winter, to encourage better draining

BEASTS: Watch out for: Powdery mildew, grey mould, ‘fairy rings’ of toadstools, honey fungus (suspect this if a dead shrub has honey-coloured toadstools nearby) Rosemary beetle (on rosemary and lavender from early autumn until spring) Vine weevil grubs, especially in pot plants. Temperatures are now too low for effective biological control, so chemicals (Provado) are needed, but must NOT be used on edible plants

BEAUTIES: Enjoy in flower: Herbaceous: Sedum spectabile (ice plant), Japanese Anemones, Aster (Michaelmas Daisy), Phlox paniculata, Rudbeckia, Heleniums Bulbs: Nerines, Autumn Crocus Shrubs and Trees: Acer palmatum 'Ōsakazuki', Cotinus ‘Flame’, Amelanchier x grandiflora 'Ballerina', Ceratostigma willmottianum, and last but not least: Rosa glauca - an easy rose with little disease and small pink flowers followed by bright red autumn fruits. If space is limited it responds well to a serious cut-back every 3-5 years Gardening Tasks are kindly provided by Viv Harvey of the Meppershall Garden Club.

41

We are pleased to announce that

we will be organising

‘Meppershall Open Gardens’

Sunday 15th June 2013.

Gardens will be open from afternoon to early evening.

Visitor’s entry fees will go to Saint Mary’s Church Meppershall.

A number of our members,

with varied experience in gardening, are going to open their gardens.

You are invited to join us

It’s not necessary to have a ‘show garden’, be a keen gardener or

be a ‘plants person’.

Just the enthusiasm to join in Pretty pots on the patio and small gardens

are just as welcome as bigger mature gardens.

For further details do contact one of the following as soon as

possible:

Linda Parker 01462 815114 or Kim Lee Tyler 01462 811750 or

Sarah Till 01462 817176 or e-mail at: meppershallgardenclub@hotmail.co.uk

Until next time,

Kim Lee Tyler

42

Henlow Church of England Academy

Hello, we return to school for a new academic year, refreshed and raring to go after the summer break. We welcome back all our pupils and staff but especially our new Year 5 children, their parents and some new teachers. The School wishes to build on its huge achievements from last year, which culminated in conversion to Academy Status; very successful Ofsted and SIAS school inspections; the best SATs results ever achieved at the School; and an Olympic torch opening our Sports Day. We also said our thanks and goodbyes to Mr. Alan Walker, who retired as our Deputy Head teacher after sixteen years outstanding service to the School. We have a very busy term ahead and would like to keep you informed of the special events coming up that may be of interest to you:

Saturday 13th

October

P.T.A. Race Night.

Thursday 8th

November

Open Evening for New Parents whose children will start

school in September 2013. (7.00pm-9.00pm)

Tuesday 13th

November

School Book Fair open to parents. Please come along

and browse and purchase some early Christmas

presents.

Wednesday

14th November

“School at Work” Open Evening. An opportunity for

parents and children to visit and talk to pupils and staff

about life at Henlow Academy.

Friday 16th

November

Henlow Academy is a collection point for Operation

Christmas Child Shoeboxes. (This is the last date for all

shoeboxes to be handed in.)

Monday 19th

November

Bags 2 School. A good opportunity to sort out your

wardrobes and bring to the school (bagged) any

unwanted clothes. This is a fantastic money raising

opportunity for the School so please be ruthless!!

Sunday 25th

November

P.T.A Christmas Fair

If you would like more information on any of the above please contact the

School Office on 01462 813733

email:henlowacademy@schools.bedfordshire.gov.uk

43

Welcome all. Our first week back was a great success with lots of new faces, and fresh

ideas. We now have a healthy snack each week, new activities including our Playhouse

Theatre, and we have lowered the prices to encourage more people along.

When you read this we will have had our re-launch party on 18th September, but at the

time of writing we are a week away, so still looking forward to this exciting event, with

Lindy Lou’s musical entertainers, our bouncy castle and a free buffet. More to follow in

the next issue.

Parents, Grandparents, & Child-minders are all welcome.

Come and join the fun at Meppershall village hall,

every Tuesday in term time from

Under 1’s: 50p * Under 3’s: £1.00 * Under 5’s: £1.50

FIRST VISIT FREE - MAX ENTRY £2

Craft, drink & snack included each week

meppershalltoddlers@gmail.com

44

NOTICE BOARD

BIGGLESWADE & DISTRICT ART SOCIETY

29th Autumn Art Exhibition Great Barford Village Hall

Saturday 20th October (10.00–4.00) Sunday 21st October (10.00-4.00) Free Admission Original Paintings for sale Refreshments

SHEFFORD EVENTS ALL HELD IN SHEFFORD TOWN MEMORIAL HALL

HITCHIN ROAD SG17 5JA (OPPOSITE THE WOOLPACK PUB)

INDOOR BOOT SALE Indoor Boot Sale restarts on Saturday 13th October after its summer break, 9am ‘till 1pm. Second Saturday of the month. Pitches £5. Early Booking essential CONTACT LINDA 01462814582 CURRY NIGHT Saturday 20th October 7 pm for food at 7.30 pm prompt. A night of Indian cuisine kindly provided by Dalchini Spice. Entertainment & music - all the family welcome. Tickets in advance only: adults £10; children under 14 £7.50. CONTACT BRENDA 01462813264 CHRISTMAS CRAFT FAIR Sunday 25th November 12 noon till 4pm All types of local crafts on sale. Christmas carols. Licensed bar. Homemade cakes. To book a table £5 CONTACT LINDA 01462814582 BOOKING EARLY IS ADVISABLE. ALWAYS A VERY POPULAR EVENT.

45

ITEMS FOR SALE

New and boxed. White 'Peru' Basin and Full Pedestal from Home base – a versatile piece that will bring out the best in any bathroom. Single tap hole. Column style pedestal. Ceramic. Dimensions of basin in cm (H) 79, (W) 56, (D) 44. Does not include taps, waste etc. £50 (rrp £179). Please ring 01462 816616

Free-standing basketball net with back board. Adjustable height, max 10ft.

Sand-filled, wheeled base for stability. Free to collector.

Tel: 01462 815943 (Taylors Close)

For more details on the Charity Race Night, on Monday 29th October 2012 and to order tickets,

please contact John Thompson on 07818 010444, or 01462 812983.

46

Meppershall Pre-School Ponderings

Autumn term is now in full swing, and our children are settling in nicely. October is a month of many changes. The leaves are changing colour and maybe start to fall, the nights are drawing in, and the weather is more unreliable for outdoor play. What better time for your little one to start a few sessions at Meppershall Pre-School. They can make new friends, explore the many activity stations in our spacious setting, and gain a bit more independence. At Meppershall Pre-School we are dedicated to providing a safe, happy and stimulating environment, where children can learn and develop through play, whilst being encouraged and cared for by our friendly experienced staff. If you have a child aged between two years six months and school age, and you feel they are ready for something new, please ring Joy on 01462 817359 in session time to book your free taster session. We open in term time on Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 9:30am until 3pm, and on Tuesdays and Thursdays 9:30am until 12:30pm. Lunch club is each day from 12 until 12:30pm.

Meppershall Village Hall, SG17 5LX 01462 817359 (in session time)

www.meppershall-ps.co.uk

47

Registered Charity: 1031913

She-Fit Personal Training

She-Fit personal training is a new business available in Meppershall in the comfort of a home studio for women only.

Lose weight

Tone up

Increase stamina and endurance

Improve core strength and posture

Increase confidence and wellbeing

Everybody has different goals, body types and levels of confidence; don’t let this hold you back. Through the use of effective technique’s, in a relaxed atmosphere, within the comfort of a private studio you really can achieve your goals. Let me guide you every step of the way, with the first consultation/session being free you really have nothing to lose. Single sessions £25 per hour £100 for 5 hours

Couples £35 per hour £140 for 5 hours

For more information contact Charlotte Home: 01462 811386 Email: charlotte@She-Fit.co.uk Mobile: 07887 570325 Web: www.She-Fit.co.uk

48

THE BIKE SHED – Ace Café and meeting Freddie Spencer September 2012 By Wayne Allen

Like all hobbies or passions that we have as individuals there is usually an iconic attachment common to the cause. Be it Wembley Stadium (the original) for football or Silverstone for formula one racing. Taking this link to finer detail then reveals clubs, pubs and other locations that become places of pilgrimage for the enthusiast. So ask any biker for such a place and most will name the Ace Café.

The original Ace Café opened in 1938 on North Circular Road in London. Built at a cost of £10,000 it was the largest lorry park in the country. During the 1950s it quickly became a place where motorbike riders gathered, establishing itself as an icon to English motorcyclists. It also has significance for bikers elsewhere in the world.

The term café racer originally arose as an insult from bikers towards riders who they thought were playing at being road racers but merely parked outside cafes. From here a style of bike developed that was used for fast rides from one transport café to another.

By the mid-1960s the golden age of the Ace Café was coming to an end and in 1969 the Ace closed to become a tyre depot. 25 years after its closure Mark Wilsmore organised a reunion this attracted 5,000 bikes. This interest inspired Mark to apply for planning permission to turn the building back to a café; on September 8th 2001 the café reopened. The Ace now has numerous events relating to all aspects of car and bike communities. There are various themed nights for Harley’s, hot rods, Kawasaki, English bikes and a host of other manufactures. More recently Sean and I rode down to a bike night at the Ace which had a guest appearance by Freddie Spencer, a past master of the

49

Moto GP. Freddie had won the 500cc title in 1983 and both the 250cc and 500cc titles came in 1985. Although we had met Freddie briefly at other bike events in the past we were fortunate to spend some time talking to him and he kindly signed some autographs for us and recounted some of his biking history. It does not get any better than this. In my view these are the type of people that have earned their fame through real talent. So even if you are not one of last rockers in town, the Ace does a great burger and chips with naturally a great mug of tea. The events are also supported by live bands which add to the atmosphere and history of this unique venue.

50

COVERS BY REQUEST This month’s cover picture of the late Archie Underwood was kindly provided by his mum Zoe Underwood. If you would like to see a specific picture on our cover, please get in touch in time for us to arrange with one of our in-house “paparazzi” to do the business. Ed.

SIGNIFICANT EVENTS Birthdays in October: Charlie Taylor will be 84 on 4th Frances Wright will be 93 on 15th Betty Mather will be 84 on 18th Sylvia Mumford will be 84 on 19th John Pontin will be 95 on 24th (Still Meppershall’s oldest known resident!)

Congratulations to all of the above _____________________________________________________

Deaths: Archie Underwood, on 11th August 2012, aged 8. _____________________________________________________

St. Mary’s Parish Registers:

Wedding, on 25th August, of Emma Smyth and Ian Griffiths.

Burial, on 23rd August, Archie Underwood.

51

St. Mary The Virgin Meppershall Parish Church (Church of England)

Church Road, off Campton Road, SG17 5NA Rector: The Reverend Veronica Goodman Churchwardens: Brian Bellamy 01462 815944 (Pastoral Assistant); Brenda Wright 01462 816446. Reader (Licensed Lay Minister, usual day off – Monday): Pam Halliwell 01462 817069 pamhalliwell@talktalk.net PCC Secretary: Anne Parsons 01462 813333 annie10639@gmail.com PCC contributions to The Messenger, Parish Records CD etc: James Read 01462 857836 meppershall.pcc@gmail.com

Services – October 2012

Date Time Service

Sunday October 7th 18th after Trinity

11.00am 11.00am

Parish Communion Junior Church at the School

Sunday October 14th 19th after Trinity

8.30am 6.00pm

Holy Communion Harvest Festival Evensong

Monday October 15th 6.30 for 7.00pm

Harvest Supper and sale of produce at the Village Hall

Sunday October 21st

20th after Trinity 8.30am 11.00am

Holy Communion Family All-Age Service

Sunday October 28th

Bible Sunday 11.00am Family Communion and Junior Church

Sunday November 4th 4th before Advent

11.00am 11.00am

Parish Communion Junior Church at the School

St Mary’s weekday service - Wednesdays: Holy Communion (Book of Common Prayer), each Wednesday, 10.00am.

52

MEET THE NEW RECTOR

As you may already have heard, I am the person fortunate enough to have been invited to be the next Rector for Meppershall and Shefford. My given name is Veronica but, except when I am in trouble, I am generally known as Roni. I am a “Brummie” by birth, and for most of my life I have lived in the West Midlands. When I was at university for the first time, I met and married Andrew, who was born in Tanzania and lived in many different parts of East Africa before settling back in the UK. Andrew is the Chaplain to the University of

Bedfordshire in Luton and will continue his work in the “Treehouse” there. We have three adult sons: Peter, John and Paul. Peter is married to Sarah and they live and work in Bristol. John is married to Camilla and is studying at Trinity College, also in Bristol. John and Milla have two young children - Miriam and Sam. Our youngest son Paul lives and works in London. Our home is also home to our Wheaten Terrier “Finnbar” and five chickens that lay lovely eggs but have no names - as yet! I have spent some of my adult life as a full time home parent and most of the rest of it as a teacher, first in secondary schools and then in nursery. Eventually understanding and answering God’s call to be a priest, I went back to Birmingham University, to Queen’s College, to train for ordained ministry. Since then I have served four years as Curate to the Dunstable Team. I am pleased and excited, thrilled and delighted... (and maybe just little daunted)... to be appointed now, as Rector of Meppershall and Shefford. I believe (thankfully) that God’s power at work in us can do infinitely more than we can ever ask or imagine (from Ephesians 3:20) and I pray for myself - and for us as we work together - that that will be our experience. Andrew and I are both very much looking forward to our move to Meppershall and Shefford, to meeting people and to getting to know you all in the days and weeks to come.

53

JUNIOR CHURCH We had the clues, children with bundles of energy and enthusiasm and all agreed that from the tallest to the smallest, the oldest to the youngest – we would all help each other and work as a team. The Treasure Walk began with a light sprinkling of rain, but not enough to dampen the enthusiasm of our treasure hunters. A short walk from School up to the Church, where a short parable from the bible was read (Matthew 13:44), and then the first clue was given to the eager children so that the hunt could begin. Working as a team the children read each clue and searched the field until all words from the memory verse had been found. All clues collected, we headed back to the Churchyard to assemble our memory verse. En route the children identified trees and bushes on their lists. The memory verse was ‘The Kingdom of Heaven is like treasure hidden in á field’ Memory verse assembled, it was time to find some GOLD!!! So to the container filled with soil hiding the gold coins where the children dug with trowels and their hands to find the hidden gold coins. All of us at Junior Church are looking forward to the arrival of the new Rector and wish her a warm welcome. Junior Church meets in Meppershall Lower School on the first Sunday of the month from 11am to 12noon. If you would like to join us at any time, just turn up on the day. Blessings The JC Team

54

CARROT AND LENTIL SOUP OCTOBER 2012

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp cumin seeds Pinch dried chili flakes 2 tbsp olive oil 600g carrots, washed and coarsely grated (no need to peel) 140g red split lentils 700ml hot vegetable stock 125ml milk

METHOD

1) Heat a large saucepan and dry fry the cumin seeds and chili flakes for

one minute or until they start to jump around the pan and release their aromas.

2) Scoop out about half the seeds with spoon and set aside. 3) Add the oil, carrot, lentils, stock and milk to the pan and bring to boil.

Simmer for 15 minutes until the lentils have swollen and softened. 4) Whizz the soup with a stick blender or in a food processor until smooth.

(Leave chunky if you prefer.) 5) Season to taste and finish with a dollop of yogurt and a sprinkling of the

toasted spices. 6) Serve with warmed Naan Bread.

Recipes are kindly supplied each month by Brenda Putwain.

55

A very happy birthday to those of you celebrating birthdays in October

Katie Johnson who will be 12 on the 1st

Samuel Derrick who will be 10 on the 2nd

Caitlin Saunders who will be 11 on the 3rd

Phoebe Brinkley who will be 4 on the 4th

Matthew Geneux who will be 12 on the 3rd

Chloe Brightwell who will be 13 on the 8th

Hannah West who will be 13 on the 8th

Harry Plumley will be 5 on the 9th

James Nesbitt who will be 15 on the 16th

Isabel Savuto who will be 7 on the 17th

Georgia Nesbitt who will be 10 on the 18th

Kittie Cullen who will be 7 on the 19th

Luke Merryweather who will be 8 on the 19th

Olivia Jones who will be 2 on the 20th

Dylan Woodcock who will be 10 on the 27th

Alexander Davies who will be 10 on the 2

If you are under 16 and would like your name added to

the birthday page, please call Louise Hutson on 814148

or email at louhuts@btconnect.com

56

THE MEPPERSHALL MESSENGER

CONTRIBUTIONS The editor welcomes contributions to the Messenger, whether as letters, articles or notices. Contributions should preferably be as attachments to e-mail but hand written contributions may be sent by post, left at the Editor’s address below or in the folder kept at the Village Stores. Contributions should run to not more than one A5 page (except by prior arrangement) and should be received by the Editor not later than the 12th of the month for publication at the end of that month. Contributions received after the deadline may be held over. DISCLAIMER The Editor reserves the right to omit or alter any advertisement or article and to change the content, format or issue date of the magazine without prior notice. The Editor cannot be held responsible for the factual correctness of, or for any libellous comment or statement made in any advertisement, article or other contribution published in this magazine. Every effort will be made to avoid any deliberate attempt to mislead or otherwise cause harm or damage to any person or persons by any advertisement, article or any other contribution published in this magazine.

THE TEAM

Editor Dick Bulley 116 Shefford Road 815114 Email: richard.bulley@btinternet.com Assistant Editor David Turner 2 Campton Road 813613 Email: davidturner25@hotmail.com Advertising and Distribution

Colette House 90 Fildyke Road 815585 Email: colettehouse@gmail.com

Production Co-ordination

Enid Pamment 112 High Street 851397 Email: enidpamment@aol.com

Treasurer John Thompson 16 Brookmead 812983 Email: jthompson244@btinternet.com

Collating Dates for your Diaries 2012 2013

October 29 April 29 November 26 Double May 28 Tue December None June 24 2013 July 29 Double January 28 August None February 25 September 30 March 25 October 28

Please note that dates in the above table indicate the month in which the collating will take place, at 2.00 pm in the Sugar Loaf. The issue being collated will relate to the following month, e.g. on 24th September the October issue will be collated.